Action for player pianos



y Jan. 5 1926.

- i; G. FREUND ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed Nov. l2, 1924 A, MWI/:rm

Y o ,l

umermo Freund.

M www Patented Jan. 5, 192.

UNITED' STAT ilA'lrisziv'r OFFICE.

GUILLERMO FREUND; or' Limi, PERU..

Application `1ed"November 12, 1924. Serial No.=749,524.

To allvfwhom timmy concern:

Be it-known that-I, GUiLLnBno FREUND, a citizen of Peru, residing at Lima, Peru, havefinventedIcertain-new and useful lm- 5 provements in Actions for Player Pianos, of which the following isA a speciiication.

This invention relates to pneumatic actions for player pianos, and more particularly to actions of thetype disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,506,980, granted September-2, 1924;

According to the construction shown and described in said patent, an all-metal action chest-is utilized, containing al set of valve boxes, onefor each tracker duct, these boxes likewisebeing made entirely ot metal. The val-ve disposed Within each valve box is controlled from the corresponding tracker duct through the intermediary of a metal tube ixed to a supporting disk which is itself removably mounted in the front Wall oi" the action chest; and this tube carries at its inner end a flexible diaphragm which directly actuates the aforesaid valve in a inanner to openy communication, through the valve box, between the chest and the associated striker pneumatic, With the result that the latter is collapsed by the vacuum existing in the chest and, in turn, operates theA corresponding key action.

The present invention is essentially a development of the earlier construction, and its primary object is to simplify and other- Wise improve the same While still preserving-.allot the original advantages. To this end', the new construction does away with thefiixed tube and its adjuncts, and connects the tracker tube directly to the valve boxor, more properly, to a removable cap or sleeve of special form mounted inthe top of the box. rEhe. latter is preferably cylindrical in shape, and is disposed exteriorly Otand behind the action chest, with which latter it is removably coupled, so that it may be readily detached for cleaning or other purposes and, if necessary, replaced by a new part Without difficulty and at comparatively loW cost..

Itis of `particularimportance in the present construction'that'each individual striker 55 pneumatic and the associatedfvalve box are so arranged as toform'asingle unit which is supportedv by the action chest but detachable bodily from the same, so that it may be readilyfdisconnectedatwill-and subo0 sequentlyv re-connected With equal facility.

Other and ystill further improvements and advantages are comprised inthe invention and Will become apparent in the course of the description Which-follows;y

In the accompanying.drawings:-

lFigure l is a side elevation, with parts insection, of the complete invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation-ot one oi the removable units previously mentioned; 70 F ig. 3 is a perspective View of one el' the valves;

Fig. 4lis a detail section ofv a slightlymodified form of valve box cap;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a lug carried by 75 the abstracts;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan of the membrane and its disk.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the action chest, as here shown, consists of a metal pipe l, preferably-made of brass, mounted horizontally in ther instrument and having its interior connected with the usual vacuum-producing mechanism (not shown).

In the upper front portion of this pipe or chest there isformed` a series ot openings 2, at each oi' which is soldered one end of a short, horizontal metal tube 3 containing, intermediate its ends, a fixed collar or stop l. A second tube 5, ofthe same diameter as the collar el, is telescopicaily and removably inserted in tube 3 and abuts therein against the said collar, its other end being soldered in a third tube 6 of the 95 same diameter as the first tube which, in turn, is soldered at an opening 6 in the upper part-of a vertical metal cylinder 7 that constitutes the body of the valve box, as hereinafter fully described. The lengths of Ythevseveral tubes are such that .when the ycentral opening or bleed 17 free end of the coupling tube 5 engages the sto collar 4, the adjacent ends of the two mam tubes 3 and 6 will likewise abut. n opening 9 is also formed in the cylinder 7 immediately below the opening 6 and has soldered at its edge the adjacent end of a tube 9 which, at its other end, is offset abruptly downward, as indicated at 10, this offset part 10 being secured in an opening 11 in the upper member ot the striker pneumatic 11, the i terior of the latter thus commmiicating witi the lower portion ci? the valve box. As usual, there are a striker pneumatic and an associated valve box individual to each tracker duct, and the pneumatics are, or may be, of conventional type, andy are disposed side by side.

The valve boxes 7 are connected with the action chest 1 and the pneumatics 11 by the tubing previously1 described, which, like the chest itself, isv preferably constructed oi? brass; and since the members 3 of the upper tubing are rigidly secured to the chest 1, the latter thus serves as the means whereby the valve boxes and the pneumatics are supported. Furthermore, each valve box. the tubes 5, 6 and 9 secured thereto, and the pneumatic 11 to which the offset end 1() of tube 9 is aflixed eonjointly form a single unit which can be readily coupled to and uncoupled from the action chest for the purposes above stated, due lto the removable telescopic engagement of the tubes 3 and 5; one such umt being illustrated in Fig. 2.

Each of the valve boxes comprises upper and lower removable caps 12 and 13 which are threaded into the box ends, the upper cap having an upstanding nipple 14, oveil which is fitted one end of a rubber or other flexible tube 15 that leads at its other end to a perforation or duct in the tracker, as usual. The aforesaid upper cap 12 is utilized as a support for a thin, flexible diaphragm or membrane 16 which, in turn, has glued or otherwise secured to its under face a liber disk 17, the latter and the membrane being-provided with a tiny In the form shown in Fig. 4, the membrane is disposed immediately against the lower edge ot' the cap-which is designated 12; but such onepieee construction may, if desired, be modivtied to the extent of securing` the membrane Suitable packing may be interposed. between both caps and the box ends, and.,

also between the ring 18 (it used) and cap 12, to provide air-tight joints thereat.

Intermediate its top and bottom, the valve box is provided with a horizontal partition 2O that divides its interior into upper, and lower chambers with `which the compound upper tube 3 5-G and the lower tube 9 respectively communicate. This partition has a central opening 21, the edge of which is turned down to form a valve seat 22; and between thc seats 22 and 19 there is disposed a movable valve 23, the function or' which is to rest against said seats alternately and thereby control communication between the striker pneumatic and the interior oi the valve boxin other words, between said pneumatic and suction and atmosphere. rllhe top and bottom portions ot the valve are preferably made of layers ot librous material so as to form tight joints with the respective valve seats, and the valve is further provided with a set of upstandimf; pins 2st which extend through the partition opening 21 so as to guide the valve during its movements but without obstructing the passage of air through said opening.

The parts, so far as now described, operate substantially as follows2-Due to the connection of the valve boxes with the action chest, in which a vacuum is maintained by the pump or other suction mechanism, such vacuum will be transmitted to said boxes and (assuming that all ot the tracker ducts are closed by the note sheet) will exert an upward pull upon. the valves 23, whereby the latter are raised against the upper valve seats 22; the bleeds 17 providing communication between the spaces above and below the membrane. This upward movement of the valves uncovers the valve seats 19 and, hence, connects the lower chambers of the valve boxes with atmosphere; said chambers, in turn, comn'iunicating with the striker pneumatics, which are thereby expanded. At the same time, communication between the chambers of the boxes is interrupted, due to the contact of the valves with the upper valve seats, this being the position of the parts at the moment when the move- 1 ment of the note sheet commences.

Now as soon as a perforation in the note sheet is brought into registration with the corresponding duct in the tracker, air Will be admitted to the connected tracker tube 15 and thence to the upper chamber oi the respective valve box and will prefs down or expand the membrane 16 and its disk 17, thereby forcing valve 23 downward. The downward movement of said valve uncovers the opening 21 and closes the opening Formed through seat 19, with the result that the lower chamber of the box and, consequently, the striker pneumatic which is in constant connection therewith, are cut oli from atmospheric communication and broughtinto communication with suction--ie., into com;- munication With the act-ion chest through the intermediary of the upper chamber ot the box and the compound tube 3 5-t3. rllhe pneumatic will thereupon be collapsed and, in its movement, will operate the respective key action. When the note-sheet perforation passes beyond the trackerduct, conditions are again reversed, and the various parts return to their normal positions.

In order to enable the pneumatic, during its collapse, to operate the associated key action, the movable member thereof is designed to lift a lateral projection or lug 25 (Fig. 5) fixed to the vertically-moving niember or abstract 26 of the key action; such lug being preferably in the r'orm oi' a fiat, paddle-shaped element having a threaded stem for engagement in a socket in the abstract, and the movable member ot' the pneumatic preferably carrying a longitudinal extension 27 terminating` in a rounded felt pad or cushion 28 tor direct engagement with said lug.

According to my invention, and tor the purpose of obtaining as nearly as possible a rectilinear movement of the abstracts 26, so as to insure thereby an accurate and correct operation of the Wippens 29 and their associated jacks 30, (Which parts, as Well as those directly comprising the hammer mechanism, may be of conventional type), l connect each abstract With the adjacent action rail 31 by means of a parallel-motion device. Such connecting device, as here shown, consists of short upper and lovver links or arms 32 which are pivoted at one end to bars B3 extending along the top and bottom edges ot the rail, and Which, at the other end, project through and are pivotally secured in elongated openings 34C formed vertically through the abstract and rounded at top and bottom. This arrangement, as will be understood, maintains the abstracts vertical throughout their movements and, furthermore, permits the usual pivotal connections between them and the Wippens and the rockers to be dispensed With; the opposite ends of the abstracts being rounded in the presentl construction, as shown, and designed to loosely Contact With felt strips 35 and 3G which are secured, respectively, to the under faces of the Wippens and the upper face oi the trame or bed 37.

While I have illustrated vvhat now con- Sider to be the preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that no limitation to the precise details of the present disclosure is intended, as the invention is olviously susceptible of modilications and changes within its scope as claimed.

I claim as my inventionz l. in a pneumatic action for player pianos and the like, the combination, with an action chest having a set of short tubes secured laterally to it at regularly-spaced intervals, oi? a set of operating units, one for each tube, readily attachable and detachable bodily. and individually to and from said chest; each unit comprising a valve box and a striker pneumatic, the valve box being provided with a pair of tubes which projectlaterally one above the other trom the same side ot' the box, one tube of the pair being removably and telescopically engaged with an action chest tube, and the other tube being connected to the pneumatic.

2. n a pneumatic action for player pianos and the like, the combination, with an action chest having a set of short tubes secured laterally to it at regularly-spaced intervals, of a set of operating units, one for each tube, readily attachable and detachable bodily and individually to and from said chest; each unit comprising a .valve box and a striker pneumatic, the valve box being provided with a pair of tubes Which project laterally one above the other from the same side oi the box, one tube of the pair being removably and telescopically engaged with an action chest tube, and the other tube being rigidly fastened to the pneumatic and constituting the sole support therefor.

3. In a pneumatic action for player pianos and the like, the combination, with an all-metal, tubular action chest provided at regular intervals With lateral metal tubes, of a set of operating units, one for each tube, readily attachable and detachable bodily and individually to and trom said chest; each unit comprising an all-metal valve box and a striker pneumatic, the valve box having rigidly secured to it a pair of metal tubes, one of which is removably connected to the corresponding action chest tube to support the valve box and, hence, the unit directly therefrom, and the other of which is connected to the pneumatic to support the same entirely from the valve box.

at. In a pneumatic action for player pianos and the like, the combination with an all-metal, tubular action chest provided at regular intervals with lateral metal tubes, ot' a set of operating units, one for each tube, readily attachable and detachable bodily and individually to and from said chest; each unit comprising an all-metal valve box and a striker pneumatic, the valve box having rigidly secured to it a pair of metal tubes Which project laterally one above the other from the same side of the box, one tube of the pair being removably and telescopically engaged with the corresponding action chest tube to support the valve box and, hence, the unit directly therefrom, and the other tube being rigidly fastened to the pneumatic und constituting the sole support therefor.

A pneumatic Lotion for player pianos und the like7 Comprising an all-metal tubular action chest provided at i'egulfu' intervals with lateral metal tubes; an ull-metal valve box individual to each tube and having a pair oi' metal tubes rigidly secured to it; and a striker pneumatic individual to each valve box and to which one tube of the paix.' on the valve boxV is rigidly fastened, the othel` tube of the pair being teleseopically engaged With, and readily removable from the corresponding action chest tube.

n testimony whereof I affix' my signature.

GUILLERMO FREUND. 

